


Lock and Key

by Aukai_771



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Big Gay Time, Flirting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Canadian so I just didn't bother with British slang, If you squint real hard Leon looks like he has Insomnia, Leon is somewhat oblivious, M/M, Most people are gay lol, Nessa is literally the smartest person because Raihan and Leon are so so stupid man..., Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Personal interpretation, Pokemon Gym Challenge, Raihan is a flirty jerk, Spoilers, The Nessa/Sonia is subtle but it's there, i don't know how to tag, minimal swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:00:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21699640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aukai_771/pseuds/Aukai_771
Summary: Leon's got a big ol crush and Raihan existing in general is NOT helpingSPOILERS for Pokemon Sword/Shield
Relationships: Raihan/Leon, Sonia/Nessa
Comments: 75
Kudos: 334





	1. Leon Realizes The Gay Hour Has Come

**Author's Note:**

> Hey thanks for reading my trash lol  
> I've got more chapters planned so yeehaw don't worry y'all

He had never really considered he might be in love with his rival.

Sure, seeing him genuinely brightened his day. _And_ he blushed whenever his rival jokingly flirted with him. _And_ he always got butterflies when Raihan asked if he wanted to hang out. But that wasn't love, right? Leon certainly didn't seem to think so. He simply thought of their bond as strictly platonic, despite the many ways it would certainly seem romantic to those without knowledge of their true bond. For the most part, he was just a rival, a best friend if more than so. He had never called Raihan his "crush".

The very first time the idea ever found itself into his brain was a few months back, during the very early parts of spring. It was directly before the last exhibition match of the season, which would then stop so the gym challenge could begin. It all began with a soft knock at his dressing room door, something that Chairman Rose had put specifically within Wyndon Stadium for him.

God, he hoped that this wasn't one of his starry-eyed biggest fans that had plowed down security. He never wanted to deal with that again. He sighed, standing up from the vanity he was doing his makeup in front of and cautiously making his way over to the door, pressing a palm against it.

"Who is it?"

" _Raichu_."

He went a tiny bit wide-eyed, recognizing the nickname almost immediately. It had been given by, in fact, Leon himself after the two had rescued a nest of abandoned Pichu and they had started following Raihan around like he was their mother. With suspicion, he opened the door slightly, peering out at what indeed was a Raihan, grinning proudly.

"... Raihan?? How'd you get here?? The security is so tight right now... and it's against the rules to spy before the match."

"Hey! First of all, _sir_ , I'm not here to spy on you. And second of all, who said I went through the secured entrance?"

The taller male continued grinning, making Leon sigh. Of course, he used the roof entrance. Which was way too complicated that no one suspected that someone would use it. Of course, they never suspected that a Gym Leader would.

"Whatever, just... get in here before someone sees you."

Leon shook his head disapprovingly, opening the door wider so the other male could slip in and backing away slightly. Raihan stepped inside, as expected, and pressed his back against the door to shut it, letting out a sigh as it clicked. Leon walked back over to sit at the vanity, picking up his eyebrow pencil once again and continuing where he had left off.

"So, why did you come to my dressing room dude?"

"The press was hounding me. Have you not seen anything in the news??"

Leon's eyes traced over to Raihan, watching his expression in the mirror. It was definitely one of actual surprise.

"Not since this morning. My phone died on the way here, and it's charging right now."

That made Raihan sigh yet again, as Leon watched him look over at his phone, which was sat on top of one of the benches in his room.

"That's probably why you didn't respond to my asking, huh... Well, anyway, there was an article released recently that sorta..."

He paused, seemingly unsure of his next words. Leon set down the makeup in his hand, looking back at his rival.

"... It sorta..? What did it sorta?"

"Well, it was basically a theory on if we're dating or not. It brought back some old interviews when you first became champion and some interviews where I said some 'flirty' things."

Leon blinked in surprise, staring directly at Raihan as he ended the statement. A silence hung for a few moments as they simply stared at one another, unsure of what to say.

"... I know, it's really old evidence, but the media has been all over it like a Joltik on a Yamper's ass."

Leon let out a soft chuckle, turning back to the mirror and continuing to do his eyebrows. He hadn't exactly realized how much he had been blushing when Raihan said that, but it was definitely a bit obvious.

"Well, _Raichu_ , just tell then we aren't dating. It's that simple."

In a small way, it almost... hurt to say that? Leon furrowed his eyebrows at his own concious, unsure of what to make of it. It was a strange feeling for sure.

"Fine then, _princess_. But in any case, you already know how I feel about crowds and there was definitely one out for me, so that's why I came into your sanctuary."

"Because I have way more security than you do?"

"Precisely."

Leon rolled his eyes, exchanging the eyebrow pencil for mascara.

"... Wow, you use that stuff Lee? And here I thought you just had naturally perfect eyelashes."

"Hah, I wish."

Raihan smiled mischievously through the mirror as Leon continued silently, being so concentrated that he couldn't speak. The rival approached silently, putting his hands on the back of the chair Leon was sitting in. He stayed there until Leon stopped doing his mascara for a second.

"Why are you just staring at me?"

"Oh, nothing. Just admiring your charm."

Leon blushed very lightly, scoffing slightly and rolling his eyes.

"You sound like we are actually dating."

"What? Is it so bad to admire you? With your perfect hair... Perfect face..."

Raihan lifted his hands so he could drape them over Leon's shoulders, as you do, making the smaller of the two blush even more. He didn't have a single chance to reply before Raihan softly kissed the back of his head.

"Perfect everything, really..."

"Raihan _wh **A** **T**_ **_THE HELL MAN_** ,,"

Leon put his face in his hands, leaning his elbows against the vanity. This reaction made Raihan laugh, somewhat loudly before an announcement sounded out.

**[The exhibition match between Champion Leon and Gym Leader Raihan will begin in 10 minutes!]**

"Only 10 minutes? _Damn_ , I thought I'd get to stay here longer."

Raihan looked almost disappointed, taking his arms back to himself and putting his hands in the pockets of his sweater.

"Do you think you could delay the match, Lee? I don't wanna go yet..."

"... No Raihan, we... this is already scheduled."

Leon stood up, walking back to Raihan to offer him a fist bump as a goodbye, a usual exchange of theirs. He held out his arm with his hand in a fist, to which Raihan had stared at for a second before taking his wrist and kissing the back of his hand.

"I'll see you on the pitch, _my King_."

Raihan chuckled at the surprise that hung on Leon's face. He let go of his rival's hand, slipping out of the room immediately and disappearing behind it. Leon was left there, standing alone as his hand fell to his side. What was this feeling? It was almost a burning sensation in his heart, but in... such a good way. Why was he so affected by this entire situation? Why did he want it to be true?

_Do... I have a crush on Raihan?_


	2. Wow The Gym Challenge begins, what a surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's probably more Raihan flirting and Leon talking abt Gloria so uh. Yeah. But I'm not sure of that yet because I haven't started writing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey??? Ur making me :) guys stop reading (but don't actually ily all)  
> Anyway yeah. Thank you for reading Lock and Key! All your Kudos and in general Hits are super appreciated because I joined out of impulse!! Wahoo!!

Only a day after the previous events, the Gym Challenge began. This specific one was shaping up to be a fantastic one for Leon, considering the two trainers he had endorsed himself were going to be in the group of challengers.

He had decided to walk to the park in Wyndon instead of staying in the Stadium and training today so he could get some fresh air. It was late in the afternoon, making sun still beam down and warm the surroundings. He could hear a few Rookidees in the trees, and a small Toxel wondered by. He hoped it wasn't lost, considering that it wasn't a usual native Pokemon in Wyndon, but it would be somewhat difficult to tell who he was. He what trying to look somewhat incognito, which was why he was wearing rather casual clothes, specifically a white shirt, jeans, gray sweater and a pair of back shades, his hair tied back into a low ponytail.

Of course, he was a bit distracted by the Gym Challenge to actually get fresh air before now, but when he did get a moment alone to his thoughts, his mind would wander back to what happened before the exhibition match. Raihan's words were constantly echoing in his brain. _My King._ Why did he like the nickname in a way? It was one of Raihan's probably mindless and on the spot creations, and there was probably no thought put into it.

He was too caught up thinking about that the feeling of his phone buzzing within his hand made him jump. He sighed, trying to calm his heart rate and looked at the screen. _**Challenger 771 vs Nessa is Live!**_ is what the notification read. He smiled at it softly, taking a seat on one of the many benches and turning his phone sideways. He rustled through his pocket before pulling out his earbuds and putting them into his phone, turning on the live video.

Challenger 771, or Gloria if Leon remembered correctly, was on the pitch alongside Nessa, and they were walking to their spots. It seemed as though the battle was set to begin. Nessa tossed out her Goldeen first, while Gloria was using an Eldegoss, giving her the type advantage. That didn't stop the pressure from Nessa though. Leon hummed softly along to the Gym Leader Theme that played through his earphones, knowing in fact the song was much more exhilarating in the stadium, but he couldn't get a ticket since in theory, he should be training for the challengers.

With his earbuds on, he couldn't exactly hear the surroundings outside of them, which was his downfall, of course. A pair of arms suddenly draped over his shoulders, making him jump before a head was placed on top of his. He slowly tugged out one of his headphones, looking at one of the hands and seeing the familiar dragon type glove.

"Heeeey Leon."

"... Raihan? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be training?"

The taller male chuckled, which gave Leon no answer whatsoever, frustrating him a small bit. Raihan also should be training for challengers, like Leon should be, but the only real difference was that Leon had more time. Raihan may as well be fighting challengers the next day, depending on how fast they blasted through the competition. 

"Whatcha watching there?"

"Oh, it's a match between one of the trainers I endorsed and Nessa."

Raihan went quiet, watching the screen alongside him as the two fought. Luckily enough, Gloria managed to break through Nessa's Goldeen and was now fighting her Arrokuda, though her Eldegoss was looking a bit rough. The Arrokuda went first, making an Aqua Jet attack, to which Raihan sighed at. Leon looked up at him to the best of his ability.

"What was that for, Rai?"

"Nessa's too confident in herself again. Using a disadvantaged move against a Pokemon with advantage? That's just a dumb play on her part. And watch."

Leon looked back down at the screen quickly. Gloria had a small grin on her face as she commanded her Eldegoss to use Synthesis, restoring it back to full health. Nessa looked slightly shocked before her expression got serious, telling her Arrokuda to use Bite. It did some damage, but not enough to be worrying. Immediately, Gloria shouted "Razor Leaf!" at her Eldegoss, and so it moved to do said attack, luckily landing a critical hit. Her Arrokuda fell.

"See? If she had used Fury Attack, since I'm pretty sure her Arrokuda knows that, she could have easily taken out that Eldegoss. But she got cocky and used a Water type move."

Leon made a small hm sound before Nessa sent out her Drednaw, who was quad-weak to the Eldegoss because of its typing of Water and Rock. If Nessa managed to win against Gloria, it would be very tight of a match.

"...Raihan?"

"Yes, _my love_?"

Leon choked on his air, covering his mouth with his hand. _My love???_ That was a new nickname. Raihan chuckled softly as Leon attempted to regain his composure.

"A- Anyway, what... what do you think of Gloria?"

"Of 771? Well..."

He made a hm sound in thought as he continued watching the live feed on Leon's phone, studying the match. The two had Dynamaxed their Pokemon, making so each of them were tremendously giant.

"She definitely seems like a force to be reckoned with. I feel like she's beginning to assemble a fanbase with how she swept the floor with Milo with only her Raboot, and it looks like she'll sweep the floor with Nessa here too. She definitely knows her type matchups."

"That's... kinda what I was thinking. I feel like she might be able to... to beat me."

Saying those words were almost frightening to Leon. He had been champion for more than a decade now, which is why he was "unbeatable". He could feel Raihan tilt his head on top of his.

"Whaat? Her, beat you? Geez, where's your confidence at man?"

Raihan sounded genuinely shocked that Leon thought so. To be fair, Leon had never lost a battle since he was a child. There was no article stating that he had been defeated in a battle, though there was plentiful of battles where he had come close. The only person that had ever given him trouble was Raihan though.

"Well, I'm still confident and stuff! It's just... worrying. I feel like she's going to be a force of nature by the time she gets to battle me."

"Hey! That's implying she'll beat me!"

Leon chuckled, beginning to pay attention to the battle on his phone again, but only just as it ended. Gloria was victorious! He smiled as the two of them shook hands, and Nessa gave her the Water badge.

"Well, she just got Nessa... and who knows, if you don't start training Raihan, maybe she could beat even you."

"Ugh, _fiiiiiiine_. I'll go train."

He sighed, taking his arms back to himself and putting them in his pockets. Leon was still watching his phone before hearing a mischievous chuckle from behind and a small kiss planted on his cheek.

"Later, _my King._ "

Almost as quickly as Raihan joined him, he disappeared again, leaving Leon there frozen. Did he... just kiss his cheek? Was that real? He wheezed, his heartrate beating much faster than it should be. That basically confirmed that he had a crush on Raihan to him, considering he felt the same what as before. He wanted to really be Raihan's King. 

_Wait... does he even like me?_

He went a little wide-eyed at the thought, but then sighed. Raihan always acted like this. This was normal to him, so he was probably just... messing with Leon's emotions. 

_He doesn't like me back, does he?_


	3. Classic nightmare trope lol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ?? Honestly I'm not sure what I'm doing but I'm doing my best  
> I think this chapter is gonna be just a bunch of hurt/comfort because mmm tasty stuff  
> Also I'm sorry it's such a depressing chapter guys jagsvsbjs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW that's over 650 hits,,, hey yall wHy  
> Also sorry for the last chapter error I forgot for a hot sec that Leon wouldn't have been able to even get to the park because of how awful he is a directions
> 
> Thanks for reading Lock and Key! Any positivity and support is greatly appreciated!

It was very early morning, about 2am and Leon was, of course, still awake. Who wouldn't be when trying to figure out if a relationship could work?

Either way, he had actually stopped thinking about that in particular since he was distracted scrolling through one of Raihan's many social media pages. The hotel room was silent, aside from the soft snoring of his dear Charizard, who was sleeping beside his bed. He was positioned so he could hold his phone in one hand and stroke the warm, scaly head of his signature partner in another. 

He clicked on one of Raihan's many pictures, pulling up a photo of the two of them. It was of a hot summer day where they had gone out to catch up and such, since Leon was busy most of the time. The two of them had gotten popsicles, which were quickly melting, but the photo had frozen time, keeping them solid. He smiled at the frustrated expression he wore in the photo, since he had been too distracted with his popsicle that he hadn't noticed that Raihan was taking a picture. Raihan was wearing his bright grin, as usual when he takes photos.

Out of curiosity, he scrolled down to the comment section to read some of the reactions people had given, being rather shocked by most of them.

**"They would make SUCH a cute couple!"**

**"Omg look at Leon 😂😂😂"**

**"Our KINGS! 👑💕"**

**"Are Leon and Raihan dating ??"**

He choked on air at the last comment, causing his partner pokemon to lift it's head and make a concerned sound, worried for her trainer. As soon as he composed himself, he patted the Charizard's head softly.

"I'm okay girl, no need to worry."

The Charizard made a quiet sound of satisfaction before lowering it's head once again, quickly drifting off to sleep. Leon sighed softly, looking at the comment again. **"Are Leon and Raihan dating ??"** Damn, he wished that was true. He could only dream that Raihan and him were dating, but that would likely never be a reality. He tossed his phone lightly to the lower half of the bed, swinging his legs over the side and getting off carefully, trying not to bump into his Charizard. He figured that some warm water on his face would help ease him to sleep, but it was never really easy sleeping in the first place. He could remember getting decent sleeps before he became champion, but really, he hasn't had one since.

He wandered into the bathroom, softly turning on the hot water tap on the sink and taking a small face cloth from the rack, putting under the tap to wet it, then almost vigorously rubbing his face in it. He stopped for a moment, the edges of his hair wet as he just stared into the cloth, becoming completely unaware of his surroundings yet aware at the same time. It was as though he was frozen in time, like someone had pressed pause on his life. The only thing he was truly aware of was the soft snoring in the other room.

That wasn't all he could hear though.

He squinted, trying to focus his brain on the small jingle he heard. It sounded... oddly familiar. And close by. The curiosity of checking his phone had shaken him out of the frozen state, as he put the cloth down and stumbled out to his room, picking up his phone.

_**Raihan is calling!** _

He squinted yet again. Raihan?? Why was he up?? He pressed dial out of impulse, putting his phone up to his ear.

"... Leon? Hah, I'm surprised you're even awake..."

"I'm just... not tired tonight. Anyway, what's up man?"

"You... don't mind talking for a little bit do... do you?"

The tone Raihan was using was out of the ordinary for him, considering his usual tone was either loud and happy or suggestive and flirty. This one just seemed... sad. That was the only word Leon could use to describe it.

"Well... yeah, I don't mind. What's wrong?"

"N... nothing, I just..."

Leon raised an eyebrow suspiciously, despite the fact that no one would be able to see. Raihan was definitely more unsure of his words, not able to state them in a confident manner.

"Raihan, you know you can tell me anything..."

"Yea, I know, it's just... it's stupid..."

"What's even more stupid is that you think I care about how dumb something is."

Silence hung on the other end. Did he say something wrong? That probably came out more insulting than he had hoped.

"I'm...sorry, that sounded rude..."

"It's okay man, you... you're right. It is stupid to be worried about telling you when you've listened all the other times before."

Another silence hung between the two of them as Leon crawled back up into his bed, laying down on his back.

"... Rai? You still there?"

"Wha? Oh, yeah I'm... still here."

"Are you gonna tell me what's wrong?"

Raihan sighed on the other end which made Leon tilt his head curiously despite not being able to see the other.

"It... it was just a nightmare, no biggie..."

"A nightmare?"

Leon couldn't control his tone, which made it sound rather surprised. He had never heard about Raihan having a nightmare before, and had rather believed that he just didn't get them.

"Well, are you okay? Do you want me to come over?"

"No, no... you don't have to. I just... wanted to talk to someone to calm me down..."

Leon didn't really realize the full extent of this comment, which was pretty sad. If you were to look deeper, however, it seems that not only did Raihan call him first, but talking to Leon probably makes him happier. Sorta sketchy, Raihan. Sorta sketchy.

"Well I... I dunno what to say. I'm... glad you called? It's just I don't want you to be suffering and stuff..."

"I... yeah. I'm sorry for calling, it was... selfish of me to beg you for support like this..."

"What?? No, that's not it at all Rai. I don't mind that you called. I don't care if you call in the future at this time, I just want to be there for you."

Raihan suddenly went silent, which confused Leon. Oh dear... Leon, you have no idea how gay that sounded, do you.

"...Rai?"

"I- I'm here, I'm here. It's just..."

"... It's just?"

"... I didn't know you could be so _romantic_ like that, honestly it caught me off guard."

Leon paused for a second. _Romantic_? What did he even say that sounded vaguely romantic? Oh Leon, you giant himbo.

"What do you mean?"

"... Nevermind. We should probably hang up soon, it's almost 3am."

Leon glanced at the clock on the wall. Indeed, it was getting later, maybe about 5 minutes to.

"Alright. Besides, some challengers are already halfway through the whole thing, and you gotta fight them."

"Yeah... talk to you tomorrow?"

"As always, Rai."

"Cool. C'ya."

_Click._

Leon sighed as soon as he was sure Raihan hung up. That was a bit depressing, but he sure hoped that Raihan was feeling better now. But god... he'd never seen, or rather heard, Raihan so vulnerable like that before. Sure he'd get his fair share of rants from the taller male, but those were always... angry. This time, it was sadly toned. It made him forget really that Raihan was just simply a human, just like him. But really, it was easy to forget such a thing because of how much Raihan just... was never sad.

Leon got up from the bed once again, wandering back into the bathroom and stared in the mirror. He honestly looked exhausted but he just couldn't sleep. He picked up the cloth once again, wet it, and rubbed his face with it again, trying not to zone out again as he exited the bathroom, and climbed back into bed, putting his phone on his charger and turning out the light. Not like it would do much for his sleep, but at least it was an attempt. He ended up dozing off an hour later, not staying like that for long and getting a much more restless sleep than his rival.


	4. Rambling (feat. Raihan)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoa?? Raihan perspective??  
> Legit I haven't started writing yet again because I write descriptions before I write the story but like I plan to make this chapter about Raihan's perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YALL what the heck,, why do yall like this sm I don't understand  
> It's weird to think that this story, before chapter 4, is sitting at 3,860 words which is over 4x the size of the English paper I had a breakdown over?? Yeah. It's stupid and I wish I could hand in a 5'000 word short story instead because I'd rather do that
> 
> Anyway, on a lighter note, thank you all so much for reading Lock and Key! I appreciate any positivity I receive, and I'm working hard to try and get a chapter out every day! Each and everyone of you is important, even if you just leave a Hit. Help man, we're almost at 800 and I thought I would get like what, 16 of them? Yeah.

"I just don't  _ get it,  _ Nessa!"

Raihan paced the floor, kicking some from dust under his foot. He had his phone floating beside him on speaker as he walked around the locker room of his very own gym.

"I mean, is he just _that_ dense?? Does he not _get it_?? Or is he just brushing me off?? Is it just me??"

"'kay, hold on. Back up. You haven't even told me what's going on yet man."

He sighed, dragging his hands down his face since they were free from his phone. Of course, he'd never told anyone about this. Nessa was the first person he had ever even mentioned it to, and that mentioning was right now.

"Okay, so like. Y'know how you and Sonia are like,, y'know."

"... You mean how we're dating?"

"Yeah! So like… I'm… I…"

A very small silence hung as he was unable to find it in him to state what he was thinking. Despite that, he could almost hear the gears in Nessa's head turning. He's way too far to turn back and say he's joking by now. At least, in his opinion.

" _Wait a damn minute_. You like Leon, don't you?"

"Well, I… Uh… _Please_ keep it a secret Ness."

"Oh my god!"

She then proceeded to laugh, getting a little far away from her microphone. Raihan caught a glimpse of himself in one of the mirrors and groaned at how flustered he was. At least some of them aren't goddamn oblivious as Raihan and Leon.

"My point is that I lay flirt after flirt on him, and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere! Like I'm being so forward on him and he just sorta takes it and moves on!"

"Have you tried asking him out?"

"Well, I…"

He paused. It wasn't really a possibility he ever even considered, but even now as he considered it, it seemed like such a risky idea.

"I haven't, but I don't want this to mess things up between us…"

"Pleeeease, Rai. You have no clue how that boy looks at you."

"What??"

She sighed and hummed a little at his confusion. Of course he didn't know what she meant, he was too oblivious to realize the signs.

"Sis, he looks at you like you're his entire  _ world.  _ You would be astounded to know how many times I've caught him looking at you, honey."

"... _Really_?"

"Definitely. I'm almost certain he's got a thing for you."

Raihan wasn't even sure how to respond to that. He just kind of stood there, thinking this over. So did Leon actually like him? Or was Nessa just hyping him up. 

"Tell you what, Rai. That dinner party is coming up before the championship cup. Why don't you ask him then?"

"Nessaaaa…"

"Whaaat? I'm just suggesting stuff! And besides, it's at Rose's mansion, and there's some pretty awesome views if I do say so myself."

He put his face in his hands, letting out a sigh. He certainly could do it. But risk his entire relationship with Leon? It was a terrifying thought.

"Oooh! I could help you pick out a tux and everything! I wonder if Sonia and I could-"

"Ness, I haven't even decided yet girl. Chill out."

"Oh, yeah, of course. I think you two would make an adorable couple if you did end up asking him, by the way! Ooh, this is so exciting!"

The other end made a sound as though she was clapping her hands together in excitement. And of course, she was. It was hard not to be.

"Yeah, yeah, okay Ness. Just… promise to keep it a secret? You're the first person I've told, and I don't want word spreading to him…"

"... Yeah, I will Rai. I'll text and ask if someone is okay knowing if it comes up, alright?"

"... That's good enough, I guess. Thank you Nessa."

A booming announcement abruptly interrupted there announcement, making Leon look up at the ceiling.

**[The challenge match between Challenger 108 and Gym Leader Raihan will begin in 10 minutes!]**

"That sounds like you have a match with 108!"

"Man, I had no clue. And Leon's brother, no less… I'll call you later, okay Ness? I gotta prepare for this. Watch the match if you can!"

"Alright Rai, talk later."

_ Click.  _ And with that, Raihan busied himself with preparations, keeping the dinner party in the back of his head. Would he go?

Well, the only reason to go is to go with Leon. If he showed, then Raihan most _definitely_ would.


	5. This just in: Raihan likes Dragon types, surprising absolutely no one!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lol I just wanted to write a happier chapter before hit yall with the dinner party man. And I figured it's a good time bc the nightmare chapter and then yall learned they like eachother but suck at emotions. Heehoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a different note hey?? Cheers to 1000 hits y'all, ily guys. Like I amn just........... a litle creacher. Thatse It. I Canot change this.

"Come over?? _Now_???"

"Well,, yeah. If you don't want to, that's chill. I just want some company."

Leon glanced up at the clock above him, sighing softly as he did. 11:48 pm. Basically almost midnight.

"I mean, yeah I can come over, it's just... why??"

"Well I... I'm in a bad mood, and I was-"

A strange Pokemon cry sounded, pretty loudly in fact. It was bizarre, since he'd never heard a cry like it before. Raihan paused mid sentence at the cry, staying silent as footsteps could be heard.

"Rai?? What was that?"

Only silence responded to him. The cry sounded again, and a faint "Oh my God." could be heard.

"Rai????"

"Leon, bro, can you come over as soon as possible? I. I think there's a nest of Swablu on the roof of the complex."

"A nest of... _What_?"

Swablus are not native to the region of Galar, resulting in Leon not exactly knowing what they were.

"Just get over here, I genuinely don't know how to help them and if the building gets it removed, then those eggs might,, y'know. Not get incubated."

"Okay, okay. I'll be over as soon as possible."

_ Click _ . That left him with dozens of questions now. What's a Swablu? How did Raihan know what a Swablu is? Why is there a nest of them on the roof, and if they're not even native, how did they get here? He sighed at the many questions that had arisen, putting on his coat, hooking his Charizard's Pokeball onto his belt and grabbing his train pass before heading out the door.

\-----

He knocked softly at his rival's door, putting his hands in his pockets while he waited. Soon enough, Raihan opened the door, looking a bit disheveled.

"So what's going on here?"

"Okay so, there's an Altaria on the roof? And it looks like it has a nest there that I sorta assumed has Swablu eggs."

Raihan held open the door for Leon as he entered, leading him over to the door of his balcony and opening it. Raihan stepped outside and looked up, making Leon copy his actions nearly exactly. There, dimly lit and on the edge of the roof which wasn't too far up, was a bright blue creature, covered in what only Leon could describe as pure white Wooloo wool. It was vaguely bird like, two long plumes sprouting from its head.

"That's the Altaria thing I mentioned. I was dumb enough to only have Flygon and Duraludon on me tonight, so the extra help is appreciated."

"Whoa… it's really pretty."

"Aren't they?? Anyway, could you give me a hand? I think if I lure it down, then your Charizard and my Flygon could lift the nest down."

Leon hummed in thought, looking back down at Raihan for a second with a raised eyebrow.

"How'd you know I have my Charizard?"

"... First of all, you never go anywhere without her. Second, it's on your belt, dumbass."

"Oh, right."

He laughed softly at this, looking back up at the Altaria while Raihan wandered back in, quickly returning with a small dish full of Pecha berries and Pokeball. He carefully let out his Flygon, who calmly landed on the balcony beside him, and placed the Pokeball in his pocket. Leon glanced back down at the two of them, smirking softly.

"Berries? Really?"

"Hey! Best way to a woman's heart is food, obviously."

"Sure, sure. I'm ready when you are, Rai."

Raihan huffed at him softly before pacing over to the edge of the balcony, holding the bowl up and whistling at the Altaria.

"Here girl! I got some berries for you!"

In the meantime, Leon turned around and fiddled with the Pokeball on his belt, letting his Charizard out. It responded to the sudden uncontained feeling with a small, rather confused noise.

"I know you're , girl. But could you help out?"

It made a small huffing noise, small flares coming from it's nose before it carefully, without request, maneuvered itself off the lowly lit deck. Raihan's Flygon followed suit as it's trainer shook the bowl of fruit and whistled again.

The Altaria continued peering at Raihan before slowing removing itself from the eggs and dropping down, landing on the railing quite delicately with a small thump. It gave Raihan a cautious gaze before slowly picking out of the bowl, beginning to eat the berries.

With a small motion of his hand, the Flygon and the Charizard flew up, very carefully picking up the twigs and grass that looked to have been almost haphazardly thrown together. They, very slowly and on Leon's direction, flew back down and placed the nest on the floor of the deck. Leon, out of curiosity, peeked inside to see 4 pale blue eggs, each carefully arranged into the small space.

"Alright, Rai. The eggs are-..."

Leon looked up as he spoke, staring directly at Raihan, who hadn't even acknowledged that Leon was speaking. He was, instead, murmuring very softly to the creature, who was quite happily eating the berries that had been offered to her. He had also lifted up his free hand and has managed to bury it in the bird-like Pokemons wings. In fact, his hand was barely visible by how fluffy it was. Leon's face flushed as he watched Raihan, who was completely unaware of his rival's presence at the moment. It was entirely too endearing.

"I, uh… Rai? Can you hear me?"

"... Huh? What'd you say?"

Raihan had come back to his senses, turning to Leon and rapidly blinking at him, not sure what had happened exactly before he was aware. 

"Well, I… I was saying that the eggs are all down and okay."

"Oh. Sorry, I got distracted."

They both shared a small laugh as Raihan removed his hand from the Altaria's wing and moved the bowl down to the floor of the deck, with the blue creature in tow. It was now laying on the ground, eating out of the bowl absentmindedly. Leon smiled at it before turning to his Charizard.

"Alright, time to go back in. Thank you girl."

The Charizard responded with a happy noise before Leon called it back in to the Pokeball in his hand, putting it back onto his belt. He looked up to see Raihan doing the same with his Flygon, as they met each others eyes.

"So, uh… What are you going to do with her?"

"I honestly don't know..? She can stay here as long as she'd like, since she's safe now. But this certainly isn't the best spot for Swablus to live."

"Should we… take the nest inside? I'm sure you can make a sort've makeshift nest with some blankets or… something."

"I mean, probably? I guess I could just leave her in the living room."

The taller of the two made a small hm sound as he gazed at the Altaria, who had, coincidentally, looked up at him with the bowl almost empty. He squatted down, softly lifting up the bowl and facing the Altaria before backing up in the direction of the door. The blue creature followed, as the two disappeared into the apartment. 

Leon looked back down at the nest, squinting softly as he knelt down, picking up each of the pale colored eggs slowly and carefully walking inside with them. Raihan was in the small kitchen part of his home, returning back to the bowl he had put down for the Altaria near the couch and refilling it with more berries.

Raihan looked up at Leon, glancing across the eggs in his arms before walking over to the couch and grabbing a blanket off of it. He paced over to the empty corner of the room, rolling up the comforter to a vague nest shape and backed up when he was finished, prompting Leon to put the eggs in the new nest, carefully and one by one.

"There we go! That should be good enough, right?"

"I hope so. Altaria do recognize their own eggs most of the time."

Almost as if he was calling her, the Altaria moved over towards the nest, peering at the eggs curiously. She got rather close to the eggs before tapping them lightly with her beak. Strangely enough, they all had the same reaction, letting out a quiet but specific musical note when pecked. She let out a soft cry, before climbing into the nest and began sitting on the eggs. Both Raihan and Leon let out a breath they hadn't known they were holding before laughing wholeheartedly. They did it!

"Well that wasn't stress inducing at all."

Leon slyly commented, watching his rival squat down and pet the creature softly. This brought another question into his mind. 

"... Hey Rai, I gotta ask. How did you know what that thing is?"

He tilted his head at the new arrival in the living room, who had cooed softly and leaned it's head into Raihan's hand. Raihan glanced over his shoulder at him and gave him rather confused look, which in turn, made Leon confused.

"...Because it's a Dragon type, duh."

"It's… It's a  _ what now _ ??"


	6. Dinner Party pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh?? This is the only chapter that's getting a serious name because I needed to split it into 2 or 3 parts so my tiny brain could handle it  
> Btw they're on the way to the party but they don't get there,,, yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm so sorry it took forever for this to come out. School finally finished for winter break now, and I'm trying to get back into writing!  
> In any case, yet again, thanks for all the positivity you guys swing my way! It literally helps and that's the only reason I actually got off my butt and wrote this  
> Well actually, this was already all prewritten, I was just SUPER unmotivated,, sorry lol

Leon let out a rather large sigh, leaning back from the bathroom mirror after he had finished his mascara. He capped the brush and leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling.

"Why do I have to go to this again?"

"Because you're the champion! You have to go!"

A female voice spoke from behind the closed door, one he recognized as Sonia's after she had rushed into his hotel and insisted that he would wear the suit she had picked out. Even though he had one already. He rolled his eyes, peeking outside the door at the red headed woman. She was still dressed regularly right now, although he wasn't sure if that would change. At least, she probably should be if she is his plus one. Currently though, she was distracted by her phone, presumably texting someone.

"Are you going to be wearing a dress or something??"

"Well- Yeah! I've got it with me!"

She looked up and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. He rolled his eyes in response as she approached closer, flattening the creases in the dress shirt he wore with a slightly annoyed expression.

"Do I really have to wear this?"

"What sort of question is that?? Of course you have to wear a suit. You can't just show up to a dinner party in your champion outfit, if it can even be called an outfit."

"Hey! I have a great taste in fashion. What's that look for?"

She gave him an unimpressed stare before huffing yet again, walking over to his bed to grab the suit jacket and tie off of it. She returned, giving the jacket to him so he could hold it while she did up his tie. A small, awkward silence hung while she fumbled with the tie before Leon, of course, broke it.

"So why are you helping me?"

"Why? Well, uh… you're hopeless with fashion?"

He squinted at her, sighing. Leon had known her long enough to recognize when she was making excuses.

"So, what's the actual reason then, insults aside?"

"That is the actual reason! Arceus, is it wrong to want your friend to look his best?"

He laughed softly at how flustered she was, sighing very softly as she finished his tie. He then put on the suit jacket, letting her button it up.

"There we go. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to change into my dress."

"Oh, uh. Yeah, go right ahead."

She hummed softly at him, returning back over to the bed and picking up the dress bag she had taken with her, along with her purse that she had hung over her shoulder. He moved out of the way of the door, letting her enter and close it behind herself. He walked over to his bedside, figuring that she wouldn't need any help, and grabbed his phone before falling onto the bed with a sigh. Now it was a waiting game. He quickly opened his phone, thinking for a moment before deciding to text Raihan.

**_Leon_ : ** **You would not BELIEVE how much Sonia's fussing over me dude.**

**_Raihan:_ yea, ness isn't any better **

**_Raihan:_ i don't know why she's being so picky **

He was a bit surprised by the quick response. Usually, he would wait at least an hour before Raihan responded, unless he texted something strange that Raihan had to respond to out of his own curiosity.

**_Leon:_ Wait, did Nessa bust into your apartment?**

**_Raihan:_ well yea**

**_Raihan:_ i kinda expected her to because tho bc the whole +1 bs**

**_Leon:_ Is she your +1?**

**_Raihan:_ yea duh**

He furrowed his eyebrows in thought. It was strange to him that Nessa and Sonia weren't going together, despite being a couple.

**_Leon:_ I wonder why they didn't go together?**

**_Raihan:_ beats me**

**_Raihan:_ though if i could get her off my ass soon that'd be cool**

He chuckled softly, quieting down as soon as he heard the bathroom door clicked open. He looked up to see Sonia in a bright blue floor length gown, that hung off her shoulders but clung to her body and became loose near the knees. An off shoulder mermaid style dress, in shorter terms. Her hair was pulled back into a neat bun, the silver heart clips that were usually strung randomly amongst her hair now finding their place there.

"Well, you clean up fast."

"Well yeah, I needed to because we need to be there in 10 minutes."

"What?? Well, we should probably leave then??"

She made a small mhm sound, walking over and smoothing out some folds in Leon's suit, which was strangely accented with touches of navy blue. He didn't question it, but it was still a strange choice.

"Anyway, c'mon! I already ordered the Corviknight for us!"

She grabbed Leon by the tie, leading him out of the hotel room like a dog. Though, on the way out, she stopped at the bathroom and grabbed a small black purse that was different than the one she was originally holding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh,, hey again!  
> I'm sorry I'm self promoting like this, but I've actually got some Original content that I was hoping I could get some love on,, I'd like some reviews honestly  
> It's called ESCAPE and it's like a dystopian thing? Tho I tagged the tw with needles, blood and hospital stuff sorta  
> If you enjoy my writing uh,, please check it out! It would mean the world to me  
> (Edit) foRGOT TO MENTION HUMAN EXPERIMENTATION,, THAT'S A THING OK BYE
> 
> (EDIT) I've deleted it, sorry guys. Didn't like the writing anymore.


	7. Sorry, everyone!

Hey guys. I feel like I should offer an explanation of what happened to Lock and Key.

To put it in the most simple terms, I lost interest in Pokemon. I still really, really love the characters. I just have lost motivation and rhythm of writing this story.

If it's any consolation, the ending of the story I had planned was that Leon and Raihan would have interacted at this party, Raihan got a teensy bit too intoxicated on purpose for some courage and would end up spilling the entire story. Leon realizes he's drunk, and makes sure he gets home safe before actually ignoring him for a few days. Raihan gets really concerned, has another chat with Nessa where she mentions that he confessed, and Raihan finally confronts him about it. Leon would break down in tears, because obviously he thinks Raihan was joking, before Raihan actually properly confesses and Leon shares his feelings, and then there was a happy ending where they're in love! Woo!

As for me going forward, I'm actually working on a project right now! It's for and AU I created for Ace Attorney, so for those wanting to read it, here's an itty bitty teaser ~ !

" ** _THE DEMON ASSASSIN._**

What an odd topic. He approached it, gently lifting it from the table as he scanned through it. From what the article showed, it seemed to be about that they'd finally captured a photo of the assassin that had been working in the shadows for years. Supposedly. Phoenix hadn't even known there was an assassin.

He squinted slightly at the image, experiencing a slight deja vu feeling. The man looked so… familiar. Was there another picture? He flipped through, to no avail. So instead, he opted to bring the photo closer to his face. He recognized that face somewhere _. _

_ … Miles?" _

Well, I think that's it from me. Thank you all so much for following Lock and Key, I appreciate every single one of you. I'm terribly sorry I didn't finsh it, but thank you anyway.


End file.
